Anti-bridging device for feed hoppers



March 4, 1958 M. L. SMALLE GAN 2,325,539

I ANTI-BRIDGING DEVICEFOR FEED HOPPERS Filed March 10, 1955 Hi E54 m 9 o g N l v INVENTOR. c MARVIN L. SMALLEGAN Q E 7 N\ ATTORNEY ANTI-BRIDGING DEVICE FOR FEED HOPPERS Marvin L. Smallegan, Zeeland, Mich, assignor to Automatic Poultry Feeder Company, Zeeland, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application March 10, 1955, Serial No. 493,481

3 Claims. (Cl. 259-126) This invention relates to means for preventing the formation of bridges in feed hoppers.

Many comminuted materials, when stored in bulk, such as in a hopper, tend to become compact and to form bridges. This is particularly true of poultry feed. This problem is particularly acute in machines in which the material is removed from the bottom of the hopper. These bridges form frequently and their formation prevents material from reaching the conveyor. The result is failure of the conveyor to remove material from the hopper.

While this presleln has been recognized for many years and has been the subject of many different devices designed to prevent the formation of these bridges, no fully satisfactory anti-bridging device has heretofore been developed.

One of the greatest problems created by conventional anti-bridging devices is the fact that the more eifective ones rotate the anti-bridging members in the feed. It requires substantial power to use devices of this design. The resulting high power requirements necessitate expensive, heavy-duty equipment. Furthermore, the operation of such machines produces a constant high energy demand, thus substantially increasing the operating cost of the equipment. This invention overcomes this problem by providing means which will positively eliminate bridging but which has a small power demand.

While this invention provides a positive means of eliminating the bridging efiect, it also is of simple construction. This invention is so designed that it cannot hang up. That is, it cannot be rendered ineffective by becoming bound into the material. Many anti-bridging devices operate in one direction by means of gravity. Frequently the material becomes so compact that the weight of the anti-bridging device is insufiicient to return it. This invention provides a bridging device which is positively operated at all times.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily seen by those acquainted with the design of poultry feeding equipment upon reading the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation view taken 'l-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the plane II-II of Fig. 1 showing the diagrammatic outline of a typical hopper.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional, elevation view taken along the plane lII-III of Fig. 1.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral indicates a driven shaft. This shaft may be driven from any suitable power source by belts, chains or gears. It is preferably not connected directly to a prime mover because it is designed to operate at a slow angular velocity.

Mounted about the shaft 10 is a cradle 11. The cradle 11 consists of a pair of end spiders 12. The end spiders are identical, each consisting of an annular collar 14,

along the plane nit-ed States Patent C 2,825,539 Patented Mar. 4, 19 58 extending from which are four radial arms 15. The arms 15 are rigidly secured to the collar as by welding.

The arms 15, adjacent their ends, are apertured for reception of the threaded ends of the rods 16. As many rods 16 are employed as there are arms 15. The rods 16 are secured to the arms 15 by a nut 17 on each side. Thus, the spiders 12 are spaced apart substantially the full length of the rods 16. The rods 16 have a length equal to a major portion of the length of the driven shaft 10.

Seated within the annular collar 14 of each of the spiders 12 is an eccentric cam 18. The cams 18 are eccentrically mounted on the driven shaft 10 and are rigidly secured to the shaft so that rotation of the shaft will also rotate the cam. Rigidly secured to the inner face of each of the earns 18 is a disc-like plate 13 of greater diameter than the annular collar 14. These plates act as axial stops for the spiders 12. Thus, as the shaft is turned, the eccentric earns 18 slowly move the cradle 11 vertically and horizontally with relation to the shaft 10. It is this operation which prevents the bridging.

Mounted to the shaft 10 between the spiders 12 is a fin 24}. The fin 2G is firmly ailixed to the shaft so that it will rotate with it. Where there is a substantial distance on one end of the shaft between the wall of the hopper and the first of the spiders, an auxiliary fin 26a is provided.

Diametrically positioned from the fin 20 and between the spiders 12 are three somewhat S-shaped agitators 21. These agitators, like the fin, are designed to be rotated by the shaft. The use of the fin and the agitators prevents feed within the cradle 11 from forming a compact mass which will move with the cradle rather than being broken up by the cradles motion.

As this invention is illustrated, four arms 15 are used upon the cradle. This particular arrangement is desirable because it balances the cradle within the feed, reducing its tendency to hang up or to rotate through the feed rather than to move vertically and horizontally within it. it is possible, however, in certain applications, to utilize this structure with a greater or a lesser number of arms 15. It will, of course, be recognized that when the number of arms 15 is changed, the number of rods 16 employed is also changed.

Fig. 2 shows this invention within the diagrammatic outline of a hopper 23. It will be seen that the rotation of the shaft 19 causes the cradle to reciprocate in all directions. This prevents the formation of bridges. If a bridge starts to form, it will be broken quickly before the conveyor at the bottom of the hopper becomes starved of feed. Since the cradle 11 is not rotated but is merely reciprocated within the feed, the power required to drive the mechanism is substantially less than that which would be necessary to form the rods 16 in a circular path through the feed. Even though the rotary motion is eliminated, the cradle will be completely effective in preventing the formation of troublesome bridges. Thus, substantially less horsepower is required to operate this invention than is normally required by equipment of this type.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be recognized that various modifications of this invention may be made without departing from the principles thereof. Each of these modifications is to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise.

I claim:

1. In an anti-bridging mechanism having a driven shaft, the combination comprising: a pair of spaced cams eccentrically mounted to said shaft for rotation therewith; a pair of spiders, one seated about each of said .W. spiders each a R a d adapte g radially as ed ta a; gsc illated by said cams; said 1 J projecting arms; rods ex- 7 tending parallel to said shaft'between and securely. affixed 7 to, said arms of each of. said spiders adjacent the free epds ofs aid arms e dging hanis havi gg a; d ive shaf y' inognt I f sgiders, br e seated about each of said .cams t q be oscillated by said cams; means extendand rc or necting said spiders; radially prog a ator elements secured to said shaft intermesaid spiders, the radius of said spiders being greater 6553 the length bf said agitator elements.

-7 I ansn i ti -s ng m9 sm av ng adr n sh the qs l inst qn s pr ias; P i 9f ac l' t i a Qf spaced ea ms e c een s id ha or at on her wi h;

trically mdunted to "said shaft,- for rotation therewith;

of said cams and adapted toqb'e oscillated by said camsg'said spiders each having radially projecting arms; rods extending betdieen and securely aflixed to a pair of spiders, one seated about each parallel to said shaft said arms of each of said spiders adjacent thefree ends 'of said arms; radially projectingfagitator eIements 'se-Q,

cured to saidshaft intetmediatef said spiders; the radial a in .Q e fr idv' h th iass ss s -tha 10 the leiigth of said a'gita tbr elements;

kct renacss Ci ed in th le 9 th s patet t UNITED STATES PATENTfi Soderberg- ;Oct."2; 1923 V I Mar. 19, 1935 

